Chopping a 64 t-bird... some ideas?

Hey, were building a 64 T-Bird at work right now that were gonna chop 3". While looking at it today I thought about moving the roof forward to eliminate the 1/4 window completely.
I dont have a great side shot of the car and its disassembled now, but I found a photo on the web of a 64 bird with the same modification we were going to do to this one. So I took it and played with it in paint (don't have photoshop) and came up with a couple ideas. The bottom picture is stock roof, the middle is approximately 3" taken out, and the top picture is 3" chop and the roof moved ahead.
Any Thoughts????

 

Personally I think moving the top forward and eliminating the quarter window makes the trunk look too long. I like your second picture best. Like the new website by the way.

 

Hey Lee! I voted for the top one, Simone cant decide between the middle and the top one, She hates the bottom one LOLOL

 

You ever see the gold 65 in all the mags about a year or two ago? It's chopped on an angle the front more than the rear & the windshield is leaned back. Whatver you do don't do that,it looks lame. I vote for straight chop like the second pic.
I once pondered making my 65 into a wagon with a second roof that I had.

 

How about a whole roof swap, that totally messes the locals up.

 

Number 2 (Middle) without any doubt........Centurion9

 

This car doesn't need the roof lowered or the body sectioned to achieve perfect proportions. Wide whites were long passe' by the time this car hit the streets too.

Nosed, decked, with period correct wheels, and Watson style paint would have the car holding it's own with anything.

 

I happened to vote for top #2,but I have to add I saw a fella put a 67 skylark top on one of those and man was it cool! I never saw it finished with windows and more than primer in the end however.

 

I second that Fat Whites don't look right on these birds. Pinners with caps, or Cross laced spokes is what looks best to me but some like supremes or Chrome reverses.

 

I just came back from the owners house and showed him the pictures. He really likes the chop and the roof moved ahead, so thats what were going to do. I quite like it myself, and I think it will be less labor intensive since the roof shouldn't have to be cut into four sections to chop it straight down, and I dont have to worry about making the 1/4 window roll up and down again.

As for wheels and paint, the car already has 14X6 astros with 5.20-14 premier sports. It's being sprayed Cadillac pearl white with dark blue Watson style panels. Welded in fender skirts, shaved handles, nosed and decked, no side trim except around the windows and the little piece of chrome where the roof line meets up with the 1/4s. hood scoop is being opened up, tube grille, stock interior, and the stock Z code 390 under the hood.

 

Do the three window, or nothing. Gives it an interesting but still somewhat factory look.

 

Seconded. It looks somewhat like the '66 (which has no quarter window), and the sport roadster option that hid the rear seats. Almost like a '64 that was laid out like the '57. Very cool.

 

don't do it man.

 

3window with less overhang
Klaz

 

Three window T-Bird..... I like it.

 

I think the c pillars are to big, too.
means, a hole roof swap would be cool. Maybe 63-65 Rivi roof?
bisides that I´m for the second pic.

 

I came across this one online some time ago. To bad the photos dont show the complete car in each photo.

I would not shorten the roof. That will not work well with the overall proportions of the car.


Just for some additional ideas...

 

Rikster .. Red or Green ?

Klaz

 

I really like the 3 window version, and I have to admit I kinda like the shortened (trunk-ated?) version too. Way much work involved with that, but it looks good.

Maybe that three window version would look good on a '59 too...?

Brian

 

Better ? ( More work )

 

I never liked the Landau topped 'Birds, like the red one, way too thick rear pillar.

 

Looking at the pics, surprisingly, I like the 1st one with the quarter window removed. I think the longer trunk looks good. Go figure.

 

I hate the red one as is cause of the c pilar and too much red. getting aggressive when i look to long on it!
BUT what I think would work with the red one would be a to tone paint job or vinyl roof.
like at this chrysler at example...

 

I dont care for the red one too much, way too much c-pillar going on.
I did some more looking at the car last night, the windshield should slide into the cowl with out much work, and the rear window I think should slide down into the sail panel as well. There is a 2 1/2" piece of chrome covering some vents under the rear window. If I section those vents right out, the window only has to be sunken into the sail panel about 1/2".
I think it may be an easier chop than most people would suspect.
I'm excited haha

 

My only problem with the three window version is that it makes the window look as if it's a pyrimid. It looks to have the identical slope, both front and rear. Although the vertical version on that red one is horrible. Just my .02

 

The "Town Landau" is the model without the 1/4 window.
All the others have the 1/4 window.

Chopping a Tbird is a Love it or Hate it deal.
Done right it looks great,done wrong,it's only good for parts.....

IF you go ahead with chopping it,make sure you brace the Hell out of the car BEFORE you make your first cut.It is a Unibody car and will be VERY unforgiving if you "hack away" at it.

What the owner needs to remember is,the Thunderbird was Ford's Luxury car.
They only need lowered,the right wheels,and a good paint job(NO Flat paint!) to stand out.

In the pics you posted,the 1st one is going to require cutting the glass and reworking the frame or not using glass at all...Not a hard job,just extra work to get that look.
The 2nd pic looks good with the chop,however the car looks "Flat"
Of course I'm going to like the 3rd version....Keep it simple and the car will stand out.

 

Graft on a Starliner roof.........just a thought.

 

Full length roof, chopped. Nice as the red one is, the c pillars are too heavy for the proprtions of the car.
I worked on one for my old boss back in the 80's. The sheet metal stuff was easy, but there are a few pieces of trim, that are potmetal, that took some working around, if I remember correctly.

 

Pretty far up on my list of cars that don't need to be chopped are the '64-'65 T-birds. Right after the '61-'63s.

What the '64 could use is removal of the rear skirts and working the rear wheel opening to a shape and flare that echoes the front.

 

NO!
'64 1/2-on Ford "fastback" roof maybe... The '64-on T-birds are too square for the round looking '60 starliner roof (that is the one you was thinking of, right? otherwise I'll shut up)

I built a model of this car back in '64 with the whole body shortened the amount you want to shorten the roof.
It looked too wide for the length.

I like the 3 window short roof and don't have a problem at all with the long trunk.
I usually do, but on this car I don't like the opened up rear wheel wells, Cut's up the side swoosh too much.

Please put skinny white walls back on it. Unless Edmonton is the Canadian Harlem and you "manage" a back seat full of working girls WWW's just don't look right on anything built after '61.